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“So apparently I’m the first person to review this tea!
Anyhow, the aroma is very…. interesting. It smells almost soapy, but not, just more in the sense that the aroma is one...”
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“This is the first time I’ve ever tried a violet tea. Normally rose and lavender are my florals of choice, but I decided to try something new.
Anyone else remember the violet candy that came...”
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From Simpson & Vail

I love springtime! The beginning of the growing season, the plants coming alive, the birds rapturously serenading, the warmer breezes blowing…. I always hold off on the first mowing of my lawn as I hate to destroy the beautiful sea of green, happy yellow dandelion flowers and the varying array of cheery violet flowers. In my garden beds I always like to grow borders of different violets. Their happy little petals put a spring in my step and add a new dimension to my culinary creations. I love to pick violet petals and candy them with sugar to make decorations on cakes and muffins.

When we were looking for new floral teas to offer I was thrilled to find this violet flavor. Added to our black tea blend, it produces a deep amber cup that is wonderfully fragrant. This tea tastes like springtime in a cup!

9 Tasting Notes

Anyhow, the aroma is very…. interesting. It smells almost soapy, but not, just more in the sense that the aroma is one that one would more likely associate with bath products as opposed to tea. Flavourwise it’s flowery and sweet (not sugary, though), and I suppose, “spring-y” as the description mentions. Quite an interesting aroma. My lack of palate training is definitely hurting me here! The black tea base is fairly unassuming, strong enough to back the violet flavour well, but not interfering with the flavouring. There’s also very little astringency at the recommended infusion time of 3 minutes.

Overall, probably not a tea I’d re-purchase, but certainly one that has helped to satiate my curiousity as to what “violet flavour” tastes/smells like!

I’ve had teas with coconut and various other ingredients smell/taste soapy before. This one was more just soooo similar to a fragrance used for bath products, not tea, that it threw me. It wasn’t actually soapy (I would have had to dump it out). Just totally not a tea flavour to me!!

So this is what violets taste like. Huh.
I don’t think I like it. Well, I want to… like it. And I can almost get there, but nope, it isn’t happening.
Shame, I expected to enjoy this one! After sampling the candied violets at Sloane tea, which this tastes almost identical to, I was positive I’d fall in love! After all, it’s essentially the same flavour profile… sweet floral and what? somehow the liquid vs candied form makes that much of a difference? I am a texture oriented person, so I should have known really. No reason it should take me by surprise but it does nonetheless.
So… if you are a person who loves floral tea, this is the one for you! don’t let my review stop you. It isn’t bitter or astringent at all, and I think it will go nicely in baking!
As for soapiness, I would say that it tastes the way lavender soap smells. Not the way it tastes, at all! I’ve accidentally eaten soap suds before and they are vile terrible things. Likewise, I’ve had tea that tastes like soap suds, which this one does not. So when I say that this tea is slightly soapy, I mean that in the most pleasant way possible. If there is such a thing. (not that I enjoy it, but I can see how someone would. In fact this might be foisted on the Mumster)

This is the first time I’ve ever tried a violet tea. Normally rose and lavender are my florals of choice, but I decided to try something new.

Anyone else remember the violet candy that came in the purple wrapper? It smells like that. As it should, considering it’s violet-flavored. I remember wanting it once as a kid because it was purple (my favorite color, ha) and spitting the first piece I put in my mouth out immediately because it tasted HORRIBLE to me. I figured that now that I’m older, I might be able to appreciate a floral flavor more. Like I said, I adore lavender and rose.

It reminds me of that candy when I add sugar. Not quite as in-your-face VIOLET, but I still remember it. I think I like this because the violet is more muted; too strong and I’d probably be spitting it out too. Probably not the first thing I’d go for when I want something flowery, but I could see myself buying it again on occasion.

Such a lovely violet tea, not too strong but not so weak that you cannot taste the violet… it is soft and smooth and innocent in an interesting kind of way. It resteeps really well, with the violet carrying through to subsequent cups. I want to say that when I drink this tea I imagine I am at a child’s tea party using fancy china…again, it has a sweet and innocent quality that is so charming.